Eclipse Review, 12-10 Sailing (LONG)

[debandbruce]

love your review, how I miss the Eclipse she trully is an amazing ship!

[librarylady19]

Monday – Day (the final chapter)

 

After that grueling hike around Old San Juan, we decided to take a dip in the pool and then head to one of our favorite relaxing spots on the ship – the Persian Gardens.

 

 

This tranquil hideaway is open to Aqua spa guests (just exchange your blue Sea pass for a key card); I believe it’s also available with a daily pass. Not sure if I would pay for entry, but it is a nice perk of the Aqua class category.

 

 

 

 

Laying on the heated beds, listening to the relaxing music and looking at the ocean is lovely. It’s a great place to read or take a nap (it’s hard not to sleep in such a relaxing atmosphere.) We were lucky that there were no loud talkers there when we visited. On other cruises, I have been annoyed by guests having loud discussions in this room.

There are showers and steam rooms available for use, as well as access to the spa changing rooms (open to all).

Men's:

 

 

AquaSpa waiting area;

 

 

We stopped by the Martini bar to try a couple more creations. Scott found a winner in the 20 Year Martini; a fanciful creation topped by a passion-ginger foam and a sage leaf!

 

It really was a yummy drink and fun to watch the waiters prepare. I tried the Jaliscotini with fresh blackberries which was tasty but a little sour for my tastes.

 

 

After another delicious dinner at Blu, we headed to the Eclipse Theatre for only show that night – Stand-Up Comedy with Steve Moris, at 10:15 p.m. We really like the Theatre venue; the seats are comfortable and views are great on both upper and lower levels. We also had good bar service in the theater. This was a great show!! Steve Moris has quite a musical and comedic pedigree. He performed with the Beach Boys and many famous comedians over the years. His show was fresh and very funny, combining music with physical comedy and some good (most clean) jokes.

 

We set sail for St. Thomas, USVI, around 11:00 p.m. but we didn’t see the sailaway as we were in the show then headed for bed.

[librarylady19]

Tuesday, Day 4 – St. Thomas

 

 

 

I woke up and was greeted with a view of Charlotte Amalie from our cabin balcony. We had a quick breakfast in the Oceanview café (we only ate here twice, both times for breakfast, and were pleased with the variety of breakfast options; we especially liked the crispy bacon and the waffles). I was eager to get off the ship so that we could get the earliest ferry possible to St. John. Thanks to the research on CC (St. John forum) I had all the steps of the journey researched and everything went according to plan.

 

We headed past the cruise terminal shops (most weren’t open yet)

 

 

right to the taxi stand. We were able to get a taxi (really an open safari-style truck) to take us to the ferry in Red Hook.

Our delightful female cabbie was great; she really stepped up the pace so that we could make it there in time for the 9:00 a.m. ferry. We enjoyed great views of the St. Thomas landscape as we headed across the island to our destination. Cab ride was $10 pp.

 

 

We made it to the ferry with 5 minutes to spare, purchased round trip ferry tickets ($12 pp) and found seats on the upper level of the ferry boat. It was a short (15 minute ride) from Red Hook to Cruz Bay, St. John and was a very enjoyable, breezy ride.

 

 

 

[librarylady19]

 

Once we arrived in Cruz Bay, similar taxis were waiting to transport us on St. John.

 

 

Tours were offered as well as stops at a variety of beach destinations. Although it was hard to decide as there are so many lovely beaches on St. John (or so I’m told) we opted for Trunk Bay. It has been recognized as one of the top beaches in the world, so we thought it would be a good spot to spend some time. The cab ride through Cruz Bay and into the countryside was scenic. We stopped at an overlook for the iconic photo op of Trunk Bay. WOW!!

 

 

Much of the land on St. John belongs to the National Park Service, including Trunk Bay. There is a small entry fee ($4 pp I recall) but the facilities there are well maintained.

 

 

There are large shower and restroom facilities, a snack bar and chair/snorkel equipment rental available. We rented chairs ($6 each with $25 deposit) but didn’t need any food so soon after breakfast. It was a very short walk onto the beach where we were dazzled by this beautiful sight:

 

 

 

Wow….the beach was indeed spectacular. We were fortunate that it was a lovely calm day and wind was not an issue; waters were crystal clear, and warm. There were only a few other people on the beach when we arrived and it never did get crowded. We enjoyed a couple of hours relaxing on the beach, swimming and drinking in the view. I can certainly understand why people fall in love with St. John (Host Ann!) and return time and again.

 

[librarylady19]

More views from Trunk Bay:

 

 

We reluctantly showered and changed around noon so that we could get a cab back to Cruz Bay. I had read that there were some more unique boutiques and shops there so we wanted to visit one of the shopping centers, Mongoose Junction, before getting the 2 pm ferry back to St. Thomas.

 

Scott was lured by the promise of a stop at tje St. John's Brewers Tap Room where they serve Virgin Islands beer on tap. We took a cab (van actually) to Mongoose Junction ($6 pp) and I did a little shopping while Scott tried some of the Virgin Island beers.

 

 

There were a number of interesting shops selling clothing, jewelry, beauty products and more here, as well as several restaurants and a deli.

 

 

From here, we walked back to the ferry stop, a short 10 minute walk away. While we were waiting for the ferry (that leaves on the hour) I popped into the St John Spice Company where they sell a nice variety of spices, souvenirs and hot sauces (DS loves very hot, hot sauce so I always try to pick him up some during our travels).

 

Cruz Bay:

 

 

We reversed our journey (ferry – cab to Charlotte Amalie) and were back in Charlotte Amalie before 3:00 p.m. The cab driver dropped Scott at the ship terminal and I had him drop me in town for a little more shopping (Note: it is quite a walk from the terminal to town – take a cab!!). I picked up some duty free rum and cosmetics at the A. Riis store (a good one stop shopping destination) and got some chocolates at the Belgian Chocolate Shop. A cab back to the port (another safari-style Truck) was only $5, a bargain considering it would have been a mile walk in the heat!!

[Lin84]

Great review! We're sailing on Eclipse in Aquaclass for our honeymoon in November so your review has been very useful - thanks! Just need November to come round now!

[librarylady19]

Day 4 - Tuesday (conclusion)

 

We had a dinner reservation at Qsine for 7:00 p.m., an event that I had been eagerly anticipating for some time. Qsine certainly lived up to its hype

We enjoyed a wonderful meal, with great service. and very clever presentation. 3 hours, 9 courses and a bottle of wine each, we left very happy! Our waiter Michael was very helpful in guiding us through the menu. Of course, I had researched each dish and pored over photos on CC, so I already knew what I wanted to try. I had to try to rein in Scott, who wanted to order half the menu on top of that!!

 

We started with the sushi lolliipops, which were quite good. Scott is much more of a sushi fan that I am, and he was happy. He loved the tuna tartare that was served with the sushi lollipops.

 

 

This was followed by the tres ceviche (unaccountably served with fries instead of some type of bread/cracker) and the Chi-tini, a medley of Chinese dishes, the best of which was the beef; others were fairly standard Chinese food (kung pao shrimp, orange chicken, sweet and sour pork) and not worth wasting stomach space on, in my opinion.

 

 

Another dish that could be skipped was the Taco Royale with the make your own guacamole. I have had much better tacos in Chicago and the guacamole, while fun to make, was not as spicy as I would have liked.

The best “course” by far we both agreed, was M’s favorites. Presentation was extremely clever and the food was all delicious, especially the lollipop lamb chops.

 

 

We could easily have eaten 4 each of those! ALso included were Jerusalem salad, babba ghanoush (eggplant spread), Mediterranean chili, hummus and pitas, goat cheese cigars, and olives (the only thing we didn't eat!). Next time, we'll order one each!!

 

 

We also tried the disco shrimp; presentation was clever (flashing light in the bowl) but the shrimp dish (creamy diced shrimp) was not that flavorful.

We then tried the lobster and escargot fritters served with brioche rolls. I didn't care for them, but Scott thought it was one of the best dishes he had.

Somehow I didn’t order the spring rolls so will have to try those another time. Our next course was the Taj Mahal, a selection of standard Indian dishes (chicken tikka masala, rogan josh, palak paneer, samosas, shrimp vindaloo) , served with pappadums. Very tasty!

 

 

At that point, we knew we had better stop or we would have no room left at all for dessert. Scott couldn’t resist the chocolate tombstone and I’m glad he didn’t; it was one of the top 2 desserts we had on our cruise.

 

 

It looked very heavy on the plate, but the combination of chocolate mousse cake (described as layered ganache and nutella) and a rice krispy base was addictive; we ate the whole thing! My dessert, Q’s surprise was a throw-away. The bread pudding was far too heavy after such a meal so I didn’t eat much of that but wasn't too upset!!

[librarylady19]

Michael brought the piece de resistance, the cleverfully presented (and delicious) chocolate covered strawberries in real grass; there was a choice of dark or milk chocolate.

 

 

Throughout our meal, the lovely young lady who was the wine steward kept our glasses full; I had selected a $13 per glass sparkling wine and was not charged for the extra $1; Scott had a prosecco that he had enjoyed in Blu the past 2 nights.

 

Unfortunately, we missed Eclipse – The Show (“the European-style theatrical circus”) which was held at 7 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. We had seen the show on the Equinox and were very impressed. Oh well, next time! I would recommend eating as early as possible in Qsine (as I had learned on CC) due to the amount of food and the time required to enjoy so many courses. It was a very unique dining experience and well worth the $35 pp we paid (prior to price increase). What a fantastic experience; I'm ready to make my reservation for Qsine for our September Summit cruise!!

 

There was an interesting event in the Solarium at 10:00 p.m. – the Celebrity Life Liquid Lounge – swimming and dancing with music provided by DJ Will, but we were so full from our dinner that we passed on this activity (which I had not heard about from previous cruises….maybe it’s new). There was another intriguing activity in the Theatre – the Not So Newlywed Game Show but we opted to listen to Owen Stevenson in Michaels Club. I must comment here that the variety of entertainment options on this cruise was impressive. On more than one occasion, there were multiple events that I wanted to attend. I’m glad to see that entertainment is being geared to a younger demographic as we are not fans of accapella and Broadway type musical numbers and vegas style singers. Those entertainment options were still available but there was so much more that appealed to us. I was so pleased that there was late night comedy; on Summit last year I had expressed my disappointment to the CD that the only comedy was PG in the early evening.

 

This was our only visit to Michaels Club (something that I know will change with the new Michael’s Club with craft beers on the Solsticized ships!). We had heard Owen Stevenson play in other venues around the ship and were eager to hear him again. He is a very talented young man (a graduate of Indiana University) who played guitar and piano and has a repertoire ranging from pop standards to musical theater tunes. This was a great venue for his musical talents; Michael’s is a comfortable, intimate spot but not well discovered I think (I wonder if people think its an exclusive club?). Entertainment was only held in Michael’s sporadically; it didn’t seem that much effort was being put in to attracting guests to this location which is a shame as it is a lovely place to enjoy music and a drink.

 

We didn’t make it to the Comedy Night with Al Ducharme at midnight as it had been a long, wonderful day filled with delights for the eyes, ears and stomach…..this is why we love cruising…..

[NewWaveDave]

Thanks for taking all the time to organize your thoughts and pictures and for posting them here for all to learn from. I can't wait to follow in your footsteps (less than 2 months away)!

 

Dave

[librarylady19]

Wednesday – Day 5 (St. Maarten)

 

Another beautiful day, another port to visit. As I stepped out onto the balcony, there was quite a bit of activity on the bridge wing:

 

 

There was also a Costa cruise ship puling into port. We were fortunate in that Eclipse was only joined by 2 other ships in port that day.

 

 

Phillipsburg:

 

 

We decided to visit Blu for breakfast this morning as we not on a strict time schedule. I wanted to try the muesli prepared at your table. We were seated promptly in the back section of Blu and were visited by the waitress offering a variety of pastries (they are definitely better than the ones served in the buffet area). We ordered cappuccinos and breakfast. Scott had an omelette and I tried the muesli. It is served from a cart and you can select your ingredients (apples, nuts, honey, etc.) and it is mixed with your choice of yogurt, milk or soy milk. Tasty and quite filling.

 

 

 

We left the ship shortly after breakfast and walked through the cruise terminal area to find a cab to take us to Marigot on the French side of the island (all well organized and signed).

 

[magellan2022]

I second the thanks! I am eagerly reading the posts and enjoying the pictures. We sail on the Eclipse on the 31st. It's our first with Celebrity so I appreciate the Anticipatory Guidance.

[librarylady19]

There was quite a lot of traffic in Phillipsburg; I was glad we had opted not to rent a car, which had been our original plan. It was a 20 minute or so ride to Marigot (cost $10 pp); we were amused along the way listening to the conversations of some of the British passengers from our ship. I was chuckling to myself as they shared their perspectives on the cruise and Americans (apparently we eat too much!!).

 

After we were dropped off at the bus/ferry terminal area in downtown Marigot, we decided to climb up to Fort Louis. (Scott wasn't too enthusiastic about this activity as it was already getting hot, but I wanted to get some photos from this vantage point).

 

 

Yes, we are in French territory now!

 

 

It was worth the climb in my opinion.

 

 

 

There is not much left of the fort, but it does provide great views of Marigot and the Bay.

 

 

 

 

We trekked back down from the fort and explored the town. There was a market going on, mostly souvenirs but a few produce vendors too. I found a little shop that sold crafts and hand painted rum bottles/shot glasses and picked up a few things to take home.

 

As this is a French territory, all prices are in Euros; they will take dollars and will convert the rate for you.

[Lois R]

Hi Sandi, just wanted to tell you again how much I am enjoying your

review and the pictures are terrific:). I met Michael in Qsine too. He

was not our waiter but served the table next to us so we chatted

a bit. They have a wonderful wait staff:)

[librarylady19]

One more view from the fort...

 

 

 

 

 

We walked past this amazing French pastry shop, Sarafinas. At that point, I was regretting having that muesli for breakfast. No matter how scrumptious everything looked, I just couldn't eat anything else at that point (plus, I'd just had a fresh coconut at the market!)

 

[librarylady19]

After another hour or more of walking around town, I had worked up enough of an appetite to think about lunch. It took a little searching, but we finally found the Marina La Port Royale area and La Belle Epoque Restaurant that I had read about online. This was a lovely area for lunch; there are a number of open-air restaurants serving French food and drinks around the marina.

 

 

 

It was lovely to sit here and enjoy a couple of Belgian beers and an awesome oven-fired pizza (highly recommended!)

 

 

And they even had free WIFI so we could catch up on some of our emails and brag to people at home!!

We decided to head back to the ship and returned to the central taxi area and easily caught a ride back to Phillipsburg. By this time, a second Costa ship had joined the Eclipse.

 

 

I still think we were the best looking ship in port!

 

I stopped at the Passport Bar (conveniently located on Deck 3) for a refreshing lime drink (after all I hadn't been to this particular bar yet) and headed back up to our cabin to freshen up. We didn't want to miss sailaway, so headed up to aft of the ship where the views of port and the sunset were spectacular.

[librarylady19]

Hi Sandi, just wanted to tell you again how much I am enjoying your

review and the pictures are terrific:). I met Michael in Qsine too. He

was not our waiter but served the table next to us so we chatted

a bit. They have a wonderful wait staff:)

 

Thanks Lois. Qsine was just a great experience all-around.

I'm trying to get this finished up before the holidays. Actually glad (almost) that we're not sailing in December next year as it's so hectic trying to catch up at work and getting ready for the kids!!

Have a wonderful Hannukah.

[Lois R]

Thanks Lois. Qsine was just a great experience all-around.

I'm trying to get this finished up before the holidays. Actually glad (almost) that we're not sailing in December next year as it's so hectic trying to catch up at work and getting ready for the kids!!

Have a wonderful Hannukah.

 

Thanks so much and wishing you and Scott a Very Merry Christmas:)

I have to say I gave myself a fantastic Hannukah gift this year.....

after 10 years of driving my Saturn I got a brand new car on Tuesday:D

[C&F]

 

Tuscan Grille:

 

 

We were booked here on our last night of the cruise. While it looks pretty during the day, I thought the ambience was much more warm and welcoming after dark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can see how that would be possible. During the day it is nice, but almost looks like a lounge-type area. I'm sure with mood lighting, it's very cozy.

[C&F]

Day 1 (still!)

We had brought our swimsuits thinking we would pop up to the pool but it was already time for the muster drill at 3:45 p.m. We gathered in our assigned spot, the Eclipse Theater, watched a brief video and were free to enjoy the ship.

 

 

We then headed up to the Lawn Club on Deck 15 for the Sailaway Party planned by our Roll Call.

 

 

We met a few folks there from CC and enjoyed the beautiful vista of sailing way from Miami.

 

 

Here's the drinks menu from the Sunset Bar. I would definitely recommend the Summer Solstice, very refreshing!

 

 

 

DH was very pleased that they had Old Speckled Hen and London Pride both here and at the Mast Bar! We liked the Sunset Bar (at least the non-smoking side). It was nice to sit in one of the chairs overlooking the lawn, especially at sunset. However, I enjoyed the Oceanview Bar a little more as there was live entertainment scheduled at that location.

 

 

Are the Ocean view and Sunset bars the ones all the way aft? What kind of entertainment? A guitarist/singer type? I loved seeing a gentleman by the name of Charlie Butler on the Summit at a similar type bar. Great review!! One of the best I've ever read!!

[Zoey1]

Celebrity Eclipse

Miami. We were the only ones on the van, so we drove straight to the Hotel Intercontinental. (Cost $30 + tip).[/size][/font]

QUOTE]

 

Hi Sandi,

How did you know on last minute travel's site that it was the hotel intercontinental..that of course is an AMAZING price, would love to get that for the night before our upcoming cruise.

[librarylady19]

Are the Ocean view and Sunset bars the ones all the way aft? What kind of entertainment? A guitarist/singer type? I loved seeing a gentleman by the name of Charlie Butler on the Summit at a similar type bar. Great review!! One of the best I've ever read!!

 

Yes, both bars are aft. The sunset bar is on Deck 15 just beyond the Lawn Club Area. There are comfy chairs facing the lawn, as well as seating in the aft bar area. There is no entertainment on this deck. The Oceanview bar, one deck below does have entertainment. Theynalso had trivia contests. We heard the Caribbean duo Jamonix here; they were very good. We loved Charlie Butler on Summit too!! he and Franklin who was on Summit are still my favorite X entertainers (along with the couple Tango for two who played in the Cova cafe.)

[Zoey1]

Sandi,

I am so enjoying your review and pictures!! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this for all of us!

Wendy

[librarylady19]

Celebrity Eclipse

Miami. We were the only ones on the van, so we drove straight to the Hotel Intercontinental. (Cost $30 + tip).[/size][/font]

QUOTE]

 

Hi Sandi,

How did you know on last minute travel's site that it was the hotel intercontinental..that of course is an AMAZING price, would love to get that for the night before our upcoming cruise.

 

I just went to their site, selected hotels, Miami and it came up as a result. I have never come across Umidentifed hotels...wonder if I'm using the same site??

[vplsh]

I took your lead on the Countdown clock!

 

Tom

 

I love the way they look, don't you??

 

We are big fans of the drink package! I would say I probably broke even most days, some days I drank more than $60 worth. DH definitely exceeded the break-even point (of course he can easily outdrink me 2:1 anyway!) Add to this the convenience/service and the freedom to order drinks you might not otherwise try if paying a la carte and it's a winner for us!

 

There were signs at each bar with the Beverage Package information. Everyone I talked to who had the package was very happy!!

 

Guess I'll have to try to talk Steve into it again! He's afraid it'll entice us to drink too much, I think. I'm not the best drinker, I'm afraid, lol!

 

Thanks again for the info and review!

 

Merry Christmas!

[librarylady19]

Day 5 - Wednesday (conclusion)

 

The Hot Glass Show was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. that evening. We were very impressed by the technical skill and talent of the glass artists on the Equinox and wanted to see the show again. It was indeed a very impressive display! I am always amazed how anyone can take the raw materials and turn them into an amazing piece of art, especially working with heavy tools and such heat.

 

 

The glass artist (on the right) and his assistant worked as a team to create a beautiful, massive glass bowl.

 

 

A third member of the team narrated the entire process. I'm always impressed with the fact that these men and women not only possess such craftmanship, but can also share their knowledge in such an entertaining and informative manner. This is a not-to-be-missed event!

 

 

After the show, we headed to Blu for dinner. This evening's entree was one of the best I had, a halibut dish that the waiter recommended. I can't remember if this dessert was served on this particular evening (it's all a blur....) but it was noteable as being tasty and chocolate and not sugar-free!!

 

 

We decided to stop in the Ensemble Lounge for after-dinner drinks. As mentioned earlier (much earlier), this was our favorite indoor bar on the ship. There was ample comfortable seating, a nice variety of entertainment, and good bar service.

 

Scott had discovered a drink called "smoke and ginger" early in the cruise and it quickly became his favorite (well, next to beer of course!!). It got to the point where the bartender in Ensemble was calling "Mr. Scott" every time he walked through the Ensemble Lounge and asking if he wanted his smoke and ginger!! (It was scotch, ginger liquer and ginger beer).

 

The jazz quartet that often played in the Ensemble Lounge was a very talented group of young musicians. We enjoyed listening to them play both before and after dinner several times.